In Between Floors
by Calliope Medina Erato
Summary: Entrapment. Who would think that it wouldn't cause danger but pleasure? Sendoh x OC REVISED
1. Chapter 1

**In Between Floors**

**By: Calliope Medina Erato**

**Chapter 1 **

" _Dito na ako._" (I'll get off here.) Regina Santos said as the yellow and green R & E Taxi stopped in front of the Orient Square Building, one of the many skyscrapers littered along Ortigas Center.

Her tall and dark companion named Von Reyes nodded. " _O sige, ingat ka na lang._" He said. (Ok, just take care of yourself.)

Regina opened the taxi door. " _Sige._" She then smiled sheepishly at him. " _Sori talaga, 'insan._" (I'm really sorry, cousin)

Her cousin shrugged. " OK _lang, ganun talaga eh._" (It happens.)

She gave him a tiny wave before she got out of the taxi. She barely stepped into the sidewalk when Von called out to her. " _Hoy, yung _bag_ mo!_" (Hey, your bag!) When she turned around, she saw that he was holding out a small, black shoulder bag. She took it and thanked him.

Regina watched the taxi speeding off, sighing. Despite their five-year gap, the cousins are very close like a brother and sister. She missed the good times between them. Von and Regina were always together, either bumming around in malls or partying the night away in trendy clubs. But now when they got their own jobs, Von as an Auditor in Global Bank in Makati City and Regina as a Contact Center Agent in Ortigas, most of their time is now spent on work. If they manage to meet together, it was brief.

Today was one of those days. They decided to meet up at 5 pm at Greenhills to have more than enough time to exchange stories and also at the same time look for a Jango Fett action figure. Regina knew how her cousin loves to collect action figures ranging from GI Joe to Star Wars. Though she's no fan of such childish hobbies, she respected his preferences and helped him out in looking for them, especially for the rare ones.

They managed to find the action figure and Von was very much happy about it. They celebrated their success in a restaurant where they spent the rest of the time chatting and reliving past memories.

It was here where Regina realized that she has to report to work in less than ten minutes time. She and Von hastily left the restaurant, which made them the center of attention from other customers since they almost forgot to pay for their bill. Von hailed a taxi and told the driver in a voice that brooked no argument to take them to Ortigas, pronto.

During the ride, they stared at each other and smiled ruefully. They knew it would be a long time before they meet again and that wasn't easy to cope given that they're practically inseparable ever since they were young.

A cool breeze blew, ruffling her hair. She tucked a stray strand behind her ear. Swinging her backpack over her shoulder, she walked towards the dark blue building with brisk and hurried steps.

Sendoh Akira was driving his cobalt blue S-Type Jaguar along the jam-packed EDSA when his mobile phone, a Nokia 6600, rang. He didn't like answering the phone while driving, but with the traffic that stretched for miles, it wouldn't be a problem.

" You're stuck somewhere in EDSA." Koshino Hiroaki's dry voice said instantly from the moment he answered the phone.

" Yes, but I'm on my way." He said, leaning back on the driver's seat, watching the cars moving like crawling bugs.

" Don't you ever take alternative routes?" Koshino replied at the other line. " It'll save you so much time."

Sendoh made a face. " No way, the last time I did that I ended up going around in circles." To be honest, he was still confused with most of the roads in Manila, where one drives into several streets before he finally gets to where he should be going and the street names kept on changing, which confused him even further. It didn't help that the traffic is so slow he could finish a book as thick as _The Patriot Games._

" The key is to be alert. But I understand, it took me months to get used to the traffic here." Koshino said. " Where're you now?"

Sendoh looked from the car window. " Somewhere in Guadalupe." He answered. Then he heard several loud voices in the background. " Everyone's there already."

" Yeah, everyone, but you." Koshino said drolly.

" I know, I'll be several hours late at this rate." Sendoh said. _They make the traffic in Tokyo look tolerable._ He added silently as the cars had now come to a halt. " So, where're we going tonight?"

" Sibil and Basement." Koshino answered, referring to two of the hottest clubs in Eastwood, Libis.

" Let me guess who chose those places." Sendoh said rolling his eyes thinking instantly of Shohoku's former shooting guard now Calvin Klein underwear model, Mitsui Hisashi. It was his favorite place.

Koshino grunted, knowing who his friend would say. " Wrong, it's Fujima."

" He's here?" Sendoh exclaimed, surprised. " I thought the guy's buried in tons of work." The former Shoyo coach has now become one of the leading publishing figures in Japan and is enjoying their recent success, a fantasy manga mini-series drawn by acclaimed Japanese illustrator Yoshitaka Amano, the one responsible for the magnificent artwork in games like Final Fantasy to rich and lavish graphic novels like Sandman: The Dream Hunters. It kept Fujima really busy giving rare opportunities to contact him or vice versa.

But now he's in Manila? The guy hardly leaves his main office in Kyoto. Sendoh was even more surprised when Koshino answered him that Fujima was here for some reason aside from business. They all know that Fujima is the epitome of a workaholic man, where they joked that he's practically married with his work. " Why is he really here then?"

Koshino snorted. " He said something about taking a vacation from women."

To Sendoh's relief, the vehicles began to move at a much faster pace. The bus behind him began to overtake his car. " That coming from him is a shock."

" We're not like you Akira." Koshino said derisively. " Who loves women by the dozen but can't even decide to commit himself to one."

" Fine. I'll see you guys in a few minutes." He said. _The way my life is going a commitment is not exactly in my list of priorities._ He added silently.

Sendoh did arrive thirty minutes later, which was a surprise since it takes an hour or more to get to Ortigas especially on a Friday night. He passed by El Pueblo and saw several people dressed in their best and also there are some who were still dressed in their corporate attire. Obviously they're ready to party for the whole night, regardless of the outfit.

He got to the Orient Square Building and entered the basement parking area. He got out of the car and winced at the heat and noise coming from the place. After setting the car alarm, he went towards the elevators. At the same time one of them opened, and two very beautiful women stepped out of the elevator.

The women eyed him with unconcealed interest. One of them gave him a sweet and coy smile while her companion gave him a flirtatious stare and winked at him as they passed by.

" Hi." Sendoh said, returning their gestures with a smile of his own. It was a charming, boyish smile that leaves women weak-kneed and their hearts beating wildly. Even after ten years had passed, it never failed to generate reaction from the opposite sex.

As the elevator closes, Sendoh waved at them. He was holding two small slips of paper and looked at one of them. It was written in a smooth, rich and curvy black ink: _Call me, 09192061036- Candy_. " _Yare, yare._" He murmured, smiling wryly.

Shaking his head in disbelief, Sendoh pocketed the slips of paper.

Regina nearly slipped along the smooth marble floor of the building lobby, startling the two security guards and some of the employees leaving the building. She smiled sheepishly at them and slowed down. The last thing she wanted is to break her neck because she's almost late for work.

_Dong-dong!_ The hollow high-pitched sound of the elevator echoed along the lobby and she broke into a run. She was relieved that one of the eight elevators opened and she rushed inside. She pushed the button for the elevator to close, but it opened once again and she saw a figure of a very tall man in a light blue blazer and coal gray slacks.

" Whoops. Sorry." She said softly.

The man entered the elevator followed by another woman who left at the last minute when she was called by one of her friends. So it was the two of them inside the elevator by the time it closed.

Regina almost automatically pushed the 5th floor button when she saw that there isn't one. " Shit." She cursed. She entered in one of the elevators that began on the 6th floor and ends on the 24th. Wonderful, now she has to do it the hard way. She pushed the 6th floor button and dreaded the idea of using the fire escape that will lead her towards the 5th floor. _ Of all the worst times to be careless._ She thought.

" _Putang ina._" (Son of a bitch.) She cursed once again.

Regina didn't realize that she was cursing out loud when the man with her suddenly stared at her, with a frown on his face. She smiled (or rather grimaced) at him then she stared at the toes of her high-heeled boots. She hoped that the man didn't think that she was cursing at him. She wasn't in the mood for a fight.

As the elevator ascended, it suddenly lurched into a halt, throwing her off against the side of the elevator and crashed against the steel walls of the elevator. Regina felt the breath knocked out of her. " _ARAY_!" (OUCH!) _Now what?!_ She thought, panicked. _An earthquake?_

" Are you alright?" The man asked as he went to her.

Regina stared at him, still stunned from her collision with the wall. The dull thudding pain on her side was the only thing she felt.

" Miss, are you alright?" The man asked again in a much louder and firmer voice.

She nodded as she now began to recover from her senses. " _Anong nangyari?_" (What happened?) She asked.

The man stared at her uncomprehendingly. She's going to ask him for the second time when he cut her off.

" I don't understand any Filipino." The man said, his r's and l's interchanging and there was a hint of East Asian accent in his voice.

_I should've noticed that sooner._ Regina thought, feeling silly. The man is taller than most Philippine men and blue eyes is not that common for anyone who's born in this country unless of course, he/she is a half-blood or a foreigner. He must be one of the foreign employees working at one of the top multi-national companies in the country. Foreigners are not that rare in Manila especially in areas like Ayala and Ortigas.

" I mean," Regina amended in rapid English. " What happened?"

" Except for the fact that the elevator stopped, I have no idea." He said. Then he pushed a button that has a drawing of a phone handle. " What happened?" He now asked through the intercom.

A woman answered from the intercom. " I'm sorry sir, but there seems to be a problem with one of the controls here. It may take sometime for it to be fixed. Please bear with us."

" How long?" Regina asked stopping beside the man.

" Maybe thirty minutes to an hour."

She began to get angry. " What do you mean..!" She began, but the man gave her a warning look and she kept quiet.

" That's fine." He said quietly and turned to her. " We're stuck it seems."

Regina sighed, seeing that it was no use to get angry. " Obviously." She said putting a hand on her forehead. " Of all the worst times to be trapped. I'm almost late for work how could that be..?" She blinked when she saw her watch.

The hour hand was between 9 and 10, while the minute hand was on 4 and the second hand was on 6. And it just stayed there. Unmoving. She winced. How many times did she tell herself that she is going to get a new battery for her watch? And how many times did she keep on putting it off? This is what happens to her when she delays things. She glared at her useless watch and stuffed it inside the bag.

She glanced at the man who was still standing in front of her. " What time is it, if you don't mind me asking?"

The man looked at his watch, a Tag Heuer, which she noticed instantly. _Nice. Classy guy._ She thought. " 8:05." He answered in a strong bass voice that sent her shivers along her spine.

" Ok. Thanks." Regina squeaked. She's more than two hours early! Oh boy, what would Von say once he finds out that she wasted their time panicking over nothing? He would probably be baffled by now. _Sorry, cuz._ She thought sending a mental apology to her cousin.

" You're welcome." The man said, smiling at her in a way that made her feel good about herself and swoon. She just nodded, trying her best not to be affected by it. He probably uses that smile of his whenever a woman asks him for the time.

" I just thought I was late for work." She added when the man never left her gaze.

" Where do you work?" He asked politely.

" New GenTech Corporation." She answered.

" As what?" The man asked again.

" CCA, a.k.a. telephone sales representatives." She said. " We bug people for a living."

The man's rich laughter was a pleasant sound to her ears.

_Funny woman._ Sendoh thought. Earlier, she was ready to pick up a fight with the woman from the intercom but now she is making fun of her job. Few people would find their job as a source of amusement, but this woman not only makes it sound funny, but also light. He saw that she is taller and bigger in body structure unlike most of the short and delicately built Filipinas. Her black hair was hanging loose in smooth straight waves like that of a Pantene commercial.

He found her face pretty even if it's lightly covered with makeup. He didn't like too heavily made up women, where they end up messing most of his clothes and pillows. Her eyes were brown and her nose is small and flat, like most of her countrymen. Her lips were the ones that caught his attention they were nice and inviting even if it's covered with a light lipstick. Was it possible that she's never been kissed before?

_If ever, I'd like to be the first man to kiss her. _Sendoh thought his eyes never leaving her lips. There are among other things he'd like to do to her aside from kissing. He didn't know why, but he always has an inclination towards largely built women. Maybe because he can have more chances to touch her? He laughed silently at the thought.

He stopped laughing and saw that she was looking at him closely. For the first time in his life, Sendoh felt embarrassed by her stare. He thought that the feeling was gone when he began to realize that women like being looked at openly, but with the way she was looking or to be more accurate glaring at him he felt like a grade school student again being caught staring by his crush and didn't like it that much.

" So, what floor is your office located?" He asked very politely.

The woman made a face. " 5th floor. But I got in the wrong elevator so here I am. I wonder how long are we going to be stuck here?" She said. " Just hope it won't be too long."

" I hope not." He agreed.

She smiled. " How about you? You're here for work?" She asked just as politely.

" Nope. I came to meet up some of my friends on the 24th floor." He answered. He thought of his friends and they must be wondering what happened to him thinking that he got lost along the way or was still stuck in EDSA.

" Oh." She said. " It's Friday night, how could I forget?" She added, her voice sounding wistful to his ears. She leaned against the wall of the elevator. " So, where are you guys going?" When he answered she let out a whistle. " Nice choice." The woman said approvingly. " They got all the chic clubs, beautiful people and outrageously expensive drinks."

" I agree with you about the part on outrageously expensive drinks." He said.

She smiled as she leaned against the wall. " I hope the blasted thing moves." She said. " I may be early, but that doesn't mean I should take advantage of it."

" Look at it this way, that's much better than being late for an hour." He said flippantly.

The woman smiled. " Good point." She said as she fished out her mobile phone from her bag and began to call someone. " _Pare, nasaan ka?_" (Friend, where are you?) She asked, now resuming to her own language.

_Too bad._ Sendoh thought as he also brought out his mobile phone. _Just when I was beginning to feel comfortable with her._

" _Ano, na-_stuck _ka sa elevator?!_" A female voice screeched at the other line. (What, you're stuck in the elevator?)

Regina rolled her eyes. " _Hindi, _Cecille,_ tumatambay ako rito._" (No Cecille, I'm just hanging around here) She said sarcastically.

" _Matatagalan ka niyan ah._" Cecille said who seemed to ignore her sarcasm. (You're gonna be there for a long time.)

" _Ganun na nga._" (That's right.) Regina said sighing dejectedly.

Cecille made a sympathetic sound. " _'Wawa ka naman. _So,_ sasabihin ko kay _boss_ amo na male-_late ka?" (Poor you. So, I'll tell the boss that you're going to be late?)

" _Kung may balak pang pumasok 'yung tao na 'yun_." Regina said, thinking of her hot-tempered and rarely present team leader. (If he still plans to go to work.)

Cecille laughed at the other line. "_ Oo nga ano. Bakit ganun 'yun ang dalas _

_niyang mag-_absent? _Lalalayas na ba ng _NGTC?" (Right. Why is he frequently absent these days? Does he plan to leave NGTC?)

" _Subukan niya at papatayin ko siya._" (Let him try and I'll kill him.) Regina said dryly.

" Fine, fine. _Oo nga pala, may kasama ka ba diyan sa _elevator?" (By the way, do you have someone there with you?)

" _Meron bakit?" _Regina sneaked a brief glance at the man who was looking at his mobile phone. (Yes I do, why?)

Cecille laughed once again. " At least _di ka mababagot diyan lalo na kung lalaki at guwapo 'yung kasama mo._" (At least you won't be bored there especially if it's a handsome man that's there with you.)

" _Sira._" (You're crazy.) Regina snapped, but she glanced at the man's direction once again. She can't believe her luck that she's trapped in this elevator with such a handsome and sexy man.

He must be more than six feet tall, she assumed. His features are strong and very manly, but not too pronounced, making it hard. His dark hair was cut neatly, his bangs almost reaching his deep blue eyes that took her breath away. His eyebrows are thick, which speaks of strength, a long straight nose and sensuous lips that indicated he has kissed a lot of women and enjoys it enormously.

She saw that he has a large and powerful build. The broadness of his shoulders was evident under his poloshirt, so was his wide and muscular chest. He has a good pair of swimmer's arms, thin but strong and his abdominal area is flat, indicating that there is no extra flesh there. Going down, she saw the trim and narrow hips and the long and sturdy legs underneath the slacks.

_An athlete._ She surmised. _Or at least he used to and manages to maintain that build for a long time. What a rare find._

Anyway, this man is a total hunk. She's sure that if Cecille and the rest of the female and gay officemates see him, they'll be all over him faster than she can say Pitney Bowes. And yes, there's the usual evaluation of a man as a lover. _I bet he's real good, no, real great._ She thought. _His bedroom skills could make women forget their own names._

Regina had no idea that she was openly staring at him until she saw his playful smile as if asking her: " What do you think?" She turned away abruptly, her face hot as a stovetop. To be caught staring at him! How mortifying. It would be much worse if he had just guessed what she was thinking about him when he's at the bedroom.

" _Hoy, andyan ka pa?_" Cecille asked. (Hey, are you still there?)

Regina blinked. She didn't realize that she was still talking to her friend. " Uh, yeah_._" She added hurriedly. " Later _na lang, pare._" (Later friend) Then she turned off the celphone in the midst of her friend's protests.

_She may not like being stared at but she sure likes to look at me._ Sendoh thought. Being stared at by women was a familiar thing to him since he has his own share of disrobing gazes and racy thoughts from women, but he doesn't want to settle on just looking or thinking, he prefers to put them in action.

For the first few days of his stay in the Philippines, the first thing he experienced was not the tropical country's beautiful sights, but their women. Unlike the Japanese women, the Philippine women have an aggressiveness that can be equated with the Americans. When he and his friends went to a club named Nuvo, women practically flocked all over him, with some even competing for his attention. In the end, he found one particular woman he liked enough to take to bed. He had to admit, that woman he met was really good and she kept him interested for almost a week.

But beyond the sex, they had nothing in common. They broke off but parted in good terms. He met another woman in a café, a third one at Wasabi and a fourth one at The Power Plant, where he was just exploring around. Koshino was teasing him that he's only here in the Philippines for such a short time and yet he's already taking women by storm to the extent that Cosmopolitan Philippines is considering featuring him as one of the most eligible bachelors of the year (along with Maki, Mitsui and Koshino).

He looked at the woman who is now engaged in a game with her mobile phone. One moment she's ogling at him and then the next thing he knew is she's playing Snake 2. The elevator is not exactly a nice place to have a flirting game, but with the way she was watching him? Now here she is absorbed in her game and somehow that disturbed him. No woman, regardless of race and nationality would ever ignore him. But this one did and that was something he never gets everyday.

Actually there are so many things that troubled him from the moment the elevator stopped. When it comes to women, he never makes it a point to be too comfortable with them. It's not part of the game to be pals with the woman you're pursuing. And there are times he felt like prey instead of the predator that he is and that requires him to be way ahead of them to avoid being eaten alive.

But this woman in her black blouse, straight cut jeans and black high-heeled boots, despite of the open way she stared at him, was approachable and amiable without being too flirty or blatant. They way she easily talked to him like he's one of her officemates is refreshing because very few women see him as a human being instead of the sex god that they think he is. He didn't know he needed that kind of treatment from a woman.

But looking at her ample curves, he wasn't sure if he'll be able to do the same thing to her. She is voluptuous despite her large frame and he likes that in a woman very much.

It wasn't helping that his mind is becoming racy to the point of indecency and perversion. In truth, her body is made for touching and loving despite her ordinary clothes. He wants to be the one to put fire in her brown eyes. He wondered how would she look in black underwear? Or on how she would feel under him, her legs wrapped around his waist as she dug her fingernails on his back, moaning and shouting for him to go faster and harder.

" Aah!" She said, glaring at her mobile phone and she looked like she wanted to throw it aside. She smiled sheepishly. " I lost." She said in a tiny voice, waving her Nokia 3350.

Sendoh just nodded, not sure if he should be relieved or not that his fantasy was curtailed.

Regina felt like a total idiot. Here she is stuck in an elevator with a very sexy man and she ended up blowing it by shouting like a 10 year-old kid. She had been playing Splinter Cell and ended up losing five times in a row. Or was it ten? She wasn't sure. She's usually an ace when it comes to playing games on her mobile phone, but it seems she was losing her touch.

She wished that the damn elevator would move already because she's going to end up late for her work and that would result to another spat with Aaron (if the guy decided to appear after two consecutive weeks of being absent). They are close friends inside and outside the company, but there are times that they end up killing each other with their verbal fights. Their other teammates are either amused or terrified with their fights.

Or was that the real reason? She discreetly looked at the man once again and she began to feel hot all of a sudden. So she's got the hots for him big deal. This is pretty normal for a woman who just saw a very sexually appealing man. But she knows when to put a tight hold on her lustful feelings after all she's a 25 year-old adult woman not a 16 year-old girl with a severe case of excessive hormones.

With this tall man though, she might end up breaking her hormones take over and the rest be damned. He was the type who didn't have to exert much effort to project his sexuality. He can turn her on even if he's just standing across her. How much more if it's unleashed? She wasn't sure if she wanted to find that out.

She bit her bottom lip. The man is very attractive and she's very much fascinated with him. With her eyes were still glued to him, she can see in her mind's eye his clothes flying off one by one until he was totally naked. The thought of him in the buff and on top of her sent shivers down her spine and her body feeling hotter than ever.

She would love to have a long and uninhibited sex with this man and she didn't care where. Hmm, the elevator sounds appealing. Wasn't there an article in Cosmopolitan Philippines that said to try making out with a guy inside the elevator? Saying that it's kinky and spicy? She can already feel of the cool and hard surface of the wall on her bare back, his lips touching every nook and cranny of her body, her hands on his thick hair telling him to go on and on and on…

_Cecille was right I do need a vacation._ She thought. _I've been working too hard lately._ Being an ordinary CCA is bad enough, but being a senior CCA is even worse. She's like an assistant team leader and takes Aaron's place whenever he's away, which is already more frequent than she liked. Then there's the endless paperwork, managing the veteran agents that are acting like children and the new ones who think they have the right to boss other people around. It was a dirty and frustrating job, but someone has to do it.

Regina sent a mental apology to the man for thinking of him as some kind of a sexual relief. Like **_that_** would help her relax.

Good thing that he can't read minds or she's doomed.

Connection failed. The message on the screen of Sendoh's mobile phone blinked several times at him. _I know._ He thought, annoyed. Surfing the Internet with his phone sounded good, thinking that it would kill time and keep him busy. But either there's something wrong with the network or with the server itself. He decided to check his inbox of SMS and MMS messages instead. Most of these were pictures from his friends back in Tokyo or in Kanagawa. He smiled wryly at the photo of the Sakuragi family, with Hanamichi, his wife Haruko and a 2-year-old boy who had the same red hair and features like him resting on his shoulders laughing out loud. The little boy was Sakuragi Yuhi, Hanamichi's son and Sendoh's godson.

He was surprised and flattered when the redhead asked him to be one of Yuhi's godfathers since he expected that position would be for his best friend Mito Yohei and the rest of his Gundan. He didn't know that Sakuragi considers him as a friend as well. Besides, he would like the child to be influenced by someone who has a broad and positive outlook in life.

" But not your playboy nature." Sakuragi had said. " I don't like warding off overeager admirers by the time Yuhi turns 16."

" C'mon, I'm not like that." Sendoh had protested.

" Sure you're not." The redhead said dryly.

The second picture was of Rukawa Kaede, which was another surprise because he thought that the former Shohoku ace has forgotten him and their days where they used to play one-on-one at the open court along the outskirts of the city. Currently he's an NBA player for the Sacramento Kings and the dark-complexioned, auburn-haired woman he was holding close is his fiancée, Matsui who is one of Haruko's friends. The two looked very much in-love especially Rukawa, which was something no one had ever seen in the usually cold man. _What a lucky guy._ Sendoh thought.

The third picture was the entire Ryonan team during a high school reunion, a week before he left for the Philippines. Everyone was much older, but what shocked him was on seeing how really old Taoka-sensei looked. But despite of his age, he was still tough and strict with the Ryonan players. Sendoh had to admit that he learned a few things from the coach even if most of time he gets yelled at for being late in practice or in a game. It made him prepared to face life's tough challenges.

Looking at these pictures made him feel homesick. He welcomed the promotion from team leader to operations manager of Cisco Systems but he didn't expect that it also included a transfer to Manila. Although moving from one country to another is nothing new to him, it wasn't as permanent as this one.

But on the bright side, Manila offers a different life for him. It's much smaller than Tokyo, but it's more alive. People here are friendly (if he knows where to go) and he knows he's being redundant, but the women in this country are more than he expected.

Which reminded him…Sendoh sneaked a glance at the woman who had now stopped playing with her mobile phone and began eating some kind of a pastry. The way she ate it made his blood rush at a certain part of his anatomy that is concealed inside his slacks.

He had seen countless women seducing him with how they eat or toy with an eating utensil, be it licking a spoon after eating a sherbet or sucking on a lollipop. It was a good way to start things rolling, but it can be tiring if it's done too often.

The woman is sticking out the tip of her tongue at the center of the pastry where she flicked off the gooey filling at the middle. He shivered. Imagine how would her tongue feel on his…

_Ok, we don't wanna go there!_ Sendoh reprimanded himself. _This isn't the time to think of sex! What she's doing is not related to sex!_

But then again isn't everything always got to do with sex? He learned that when he was first introduced to the carnal arts at the age where exploration is further taken to new heights.

" You want?" The woman said, holding out a pack of Whammo's Chocolate to him.

" What?" Sendoh blinked. _Is she serious?_

" Food." She said.

He shook his head, relieved and embarrassed. " Not hungry." _Not in the way you mean._ He added silently.

The woman shrugged.

_Was it a good thing that he said no?_ Regina thought as she continued eating her Whammo's. She was just simply offering food to him, nothing else. Is there malice to what she did? Of course there wasn't.

Then why did she feel that what she had just said was the closest thing to a sexual innuendo?

Regina took a big bite of her food, annoyed at herself for being so paranoid. Taking her mind off the man across her, she began to outline the tasks she's sure to do once she gets to the office. _Get the agents to log in, monitor calls, oh and check attendance as well keeping an eye on Ara whose tardiness is becoming too frequent already. Act as the supervisor in case there's an irate client, that's always, and get the team stats, paperwork…the list is endless. I hope Aaron comes back._ She was saying to herself. __

Thinking about her work made her feel exhausted. She might as well take Cecille's advice and take a vacation. Two weeks of relaxation at Baguio City sounded appealing all of a sudden. Or would Puerto Galera sound even better?

" Puerto Galera? Hmm…." She muttered to herself.

" Excuse me?" The man turned to her.

Great, she was muttering out loud once again. " Uh, nothing." She said. " I'm thinking of where to go for a vacation. I just thought maybe Puerto Galera sounded good."

" Where's that?" He asked.

" Mindoro Occidental. It's one of my favorite places." She said, remembering the times she went to Puerto Galera with a smile. " With their beautiful beaches, high mountains and refreshing creeks and streams."

He nodded. " Is it very far from here?"

" Sort of. You have to travel three hours by bus to Batangas and ride on a ferry towards the island for an hour and half."

" I see. Thanks for giving me an idea where to go if I need a break." He said then gave her a playful smile. " Maybe you can go with me and show me around."

Regina blinked. Good grief, he's flirting with her! Then she brushed the thought aside, he was just asking her because she's the one who's a native in this country and he needed a tourist guide. _Right. Keep on making excuses, Reg._ She thought to herself.

" How long have you been here in the country anyway?" She asked, pushing the question aside.

" About a month or so."

_Not too long._ She thought. But he looked like he was already living here for such a long time. How could he adapt so well?

Luckily, this launched a discussion on where to go and not to go in the Philippines and the relaxed atmosphere between them returned and Regina felt very distracted, but not because of their conversation about the stone cottages of Batanes.

The man had already taken off his blazer, which was hanging casually over his shoulder and the first two buttons of his black poloshirt were already unbuttoned exposing a healthy amount of chest and skin.

Regina never liked men with chest hairs, seeing at as unhygienic. So upon seeing the hairless and smooth muscular chest of his sent her shivers. The feel of that skin on her hands…it would be wonderful she's certain of that. She can already imagine herself running a hand or her lips on his broad expanse of his torso and the way it would feel when crushed against her…!

" Are you sure it's that dangerous?"

His voice jolted her out from her fantasy. " Where?" She asked. Was he referring to her thoughts?

" Mindanao. You said there's a never-ending crisis there." He answered.

_Of course, what else silly?!_ " That would depend on which part you plan to go." She said crisply, feeling mortified with the way her thoughts are going. Darn that chest of his!

" Have you been there?" He asked.

_Stop equating it to sex!_ She reprimanded herself. " Nope." She said. " It's such a beautiful place with a very troubled history. But I'd love to go there one day."

_She's even prettier as she talks._ Sendoh thought as he watched as the woman began to talk about Philippine foods. He liked the way her hands move as she speaks or the way she throws her head up whenever she laughs heartily. If she's this beautiful when she laughs he'd bet that she's even lovelier when she toss her head with her hair flying and her eyes closed in bliss as she move so sensuously against him.

So he wanted her. It was nothing new since he had always wanted so many women, what was so different about this one? Maybe it was because she was already within his reach and he was hesitating.

For that matter, why is he making a point to restrain himself when it's obvious that this woman wanted him as well? Their eyes met briefly but she instantly broke the visual contact with him, her cheeks flushed deep red. She wanted him, but was trying to cover it. _Sorry sweetheart, you don't hide it too well._ He thought.

Based on experience, he defined sexual tension as a tension between two people who are so hot for each other, but something seems to stop them from getting right down on it. Usually, it's used to add zing to the chase where in the end it's going to be one big explosion between them.

But with this woman, the sexual tension between them is _real_. And the shocking part, he was totally helpless and unsure on what to do.

Wow the great player, Sendoh Akira was uncertain. Not that was a laugh.

He leaned against the wall, wishing that the elevator would begin to move already. The longer he stays in here the harder for him to restrain himself from the woman across him.

Regina felt like an animal trapped in a small cage. Her insides were churning like crazy, making her feel restless. She wanted to move or do something, but her legs felt too stiff and she didn't want to attract the man's attention by pacing back and forth along the elevator. That was the last thing she wanted to do.

She wished she were anywhere except inside this elevator stuck with a very hot-looking man who she's been lusting at for the past twenty-five minutes (she looked at the clock in her mobile phone it read 08:30 p.m.). How long would she be inside this blasted thing?!

Regina felt scared for the first time in her life, not because of the situation she's in, she's had worse experiences than this, but because she felt that she's beginning to lose her control of her emotions. And it's all because of that damn man across her. She's not the type of woman who jumps into bed because of a good-looking face or a marvelous physique. She must be crazy if she does that.

She has heard so many horror stories about relationships gone wrong where the woman is always at the losing end. This is why she is so strict about men trying to make a move on her. Cecille told her that she's being too picky and if she keeps on doing that she would end up having no man at all. But she didn't care. Her heart and sanity is still intact, that's what matters.

But she wasn't sure how long would that be. For the last time she sneaked a glance at the man who is now leaning against the wall and his eyes were closed. _Was he asleep?_ She thought, looking closer.

Good Lord! She always envied men with thick and long eyelashes and this man tops it all. Even with his eyes closed he still looked good and sensual. It would be nice to trail kisses along his face beginning with his eyes until she reaches his lips. If she kissed him now would he respond?

_NO! _She shouted to herself. This isn't the time to be immersed in lurid thoughts! She's in a serious crisis for goodness' sake! She has to think of ways to kill time while the elevator is being repaired. Maybe she can bring out her mobile phone again and play her heart out until she gets bored or the battery dies out.

She raked her eyes on the man liking what she was seeing. _But this sure beats playing Splinter Cell and much more fun._ She thought, shivering at the thought of this man holding her close to him and kissing her breathless.

The man opened his eyes and turned his cerulean gaze on her. She wanted to turn away, but she was too stunned to do so. She ended up meeting his stare head on and without flinching.

_Bad move girl._

It was impossible to break the visual contact between then. If the entire building crashes down on them, they couldn't and wouldn't care any less. Their eyes would still be locked with each other.

The silence between them was positively charged and crackling with sensual electricity that can only come from two people desiring each other. Lust is rarely one-sided. It always, always takes two.

She stood there stiff as stone as the man approached her slowly. By the time he stopped, he was only inches from her their foreheads are almost touching. " I think we have a problem." He said huskily.

" We do." She whispered as her arm fell limply to her side, dropping the bag that was hooked on her elbow with a loud thump.

_Author's note: This is the revised version of my old fic before I went to work. I changed it because of the inconsistencies in some of the events in the story and there are some errors to be corrected._

_Disclaimer: Slam Dunk is not mine but by Takehiko-sama and Shonen Jump._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

        The result was instantaneous.  One moment they were staring at one another and the next thing they knew is that they're at each other's arms, their lips locked in a hot and passionate kiss.   

        Sendoh never felt _this_ good when he kissed her. He didn't realize how deprived he was of one good lip smacking. Too many years of experience took that simple joy away.  Most of the time, he goes straight to the merchandise and by then the Big Bang.  Then it's over.

        With her, there's no need to rush and he has no intention of doing so. He is going to take his time with her even if they're cooped up inside an elevator cabin and he had been restraining himself for quite sometime. He's going to give her the best. His mouth was now probing, teasing, beseeching her to open up to him.

       Sendoh felt her falter for just a fraction of a second, then responded to him gladly letting her senses take over her. His hand rested at the small of her back, near her buttocks and pushed her even closer to him wanting her to feel how much he wanted her.

        A thousand and one sensations coursed through Regina's body upon feeling his mouth on hers and her entire body was like an energized power line, acutely aware of the hard frame pressed against her soft one. She ran her hands through his hair, enjoying the contrast of smooth and rough texture. She sighed contentedly through his lips.  Who would've thought that being kissed by this man could set you on fire?

        Regina already felt the evidence of his desire cutting through her and on instinct, she moved against him wanting to feel his hardness, delighted when he let out a muffled groan.

If she continues doing that, Sendoh will forget the resolve to take it slow, slam her against the wall and give what they both wanted from the start. It took him superhuman effort to control that urge and instead decided to use another tactic: he touched the tip of his tongue on her lip.

She gasped, another assault of heat invaded her body, opening her mouth slight just enough for his tongue to penetrate inside. She could feel him coaxing and teasing, inflaming her all the while. She began to respond by tentatively touching her tongue to his then gradually increased in intensity, taking pleasure in their intimate swordplay and the taste of him and he of her.

Still caressing her back, Sendoh began to kiss her much deeper, not enticing or cajoling. But instead, he began to thrust his tongue inside, slowly at first then gradually increasing speed. His body was moving slightly giving the illusion that he was actually moving inside her.

Regina moaned, her fingers tightening painfully around his hair. She felt her knees buckling underneath her and almost fell down to the floor if he did not steady her. He guided her towards the wall and gently leaned her against it without even relinquishing his lips from hers.

She made a sound of protest when he did. He looked into her smoky brown eyes and smiled in such away that she nearly melted. Then he kissed her again, this time much more intensely with his hands skimming her sides. He didn't know why but he can't get enough of her lips.  He felt like a thirsty man finally able to drink so much water after so long. 

With one hand, Sendoh unbuttoned her blouse and pushed it open. What he saw made his blood pressure skyrocket. It revealed a strapless black bra that pushes her full breasts to almost overflowing and the color only enhanced her skin so white and creamy he can't wait to touch it. 

        He now began to trail kisses along her throat, the sound of her whimper vibrated against his lips. She arched her head, moaning as her hands were now moving on his back, untucking his poloshirt. 

        Regina was glorying the feel of the hard and smooth surface of his body all angles, planes and bulges. She tugged the poloshirt wanting to feel more of his skin on hers and she let out a throaty chuckle when he almost tore it out of his body.

                 " Amusing huh?" He said roughly. To her shock and pleasure, he pulled off her blouse and threw it aside. He then uhooked her bra and threw them aside as he now began to kiss her bare shoulder. It wasn't fair that he's bare-chested and she isn't. Besides, he wanted to stroke those breasts and to feel them crushed against his chest.

        Almost greedily, he cupped one breast and encircled his thumb around the nipple until it hardened. Her breath came out in short, ragged pants as he continued his caresses. A feeling between pain and warmth churned in the deep recesses of her femininity and rubbed herself against him as if to ease the pain.

                 " Honey…don't do…that…" Sendoh rasped his self-control was beginning to wear thin.

        A moan was his answer.

        Regina thought she could never feel this aroused, but she let out a strangled cry when she felt his mouth closing on her breast, his tongue moving slowly around the nipple in a circular motion, sucking on it like one would on a lemon. She arched her back to give him more access to her breasts, clinging to him fiercely as if her life depended on it.

                 " Oh yes…"  She whispered.

        She was so responsive it's driving him crazy. He wanted her now, but kept on resisting that urge. _Slowly, slowly…_he reminded himself. _Slowly…slo—!_

His hold on his desires nearly slipped when her hands tugged on his belt loops of his pants.  It looks like he was not the only who's in a hurry. Lifting his head, he caught her hands and shook his head. " _Matte._" He said softly and captured her mouth with his.

        Regina had no idea what he had just said, but understood it because of his hands restraining her. She didn't have the time to protest because he just kissed her, melting all her objections away. She moved sensuously against him real slowly, telling him how much she wanted to be with him. Also it was her way of getting even at him letting him know how agonizing it was to wait any longer.

        And he knew it. Oh how he knew it. Just barely releasing her mouth he said hoarsely: " You're making this hard for me."

        She just grinned at him, meeting his smoldering blue eyes and straining her body to get closer to his.

        Sendoh kissed her again, hard and forceful then gentled it. With one hand, he unsnapped her jeans, slipped it under her black bikini high panties and caressed her intimately. It elicited a smothered moan from her.

        She was hot and velvety as he was hard and slick. By then, they had already stopped kissing and were both breathing roughly especially Regina. Her fingernails were now digging painfully on the broad expanse of his back, whimpering as he continued exploring her fiery core.

        He plunged two fingers inside her, gently at first making circular motions as he went deeper. Her eyes flew open an onslaught of heat and frenzy flowed through her body, letting out a loud cry

        Sendoh probed even deeper and was astonished that no other man had ever touched her this closely. At that he felt proud and strangely possessive about it. Their eyes met, both filled with need and desire. For the nth time he kissed her lips.

        Every part of Regina's body is alive, tingling as she willingly responded to his kiss. She thrust her hips against his hand and while proved to be this pleasurable, she was not satisfied with it. She wanted more. She wanted _him_.

                 " Now…" She whispered huskily after their kiss. " Now...please…." She repeated more urgent this time.

        Yes now. He can't wait any longer and so does she. He now began to unbuckle his belt clumsily because he was so much in a hurry. She stopped him and did it herself, brushing lightly on the bulge at the front of his pants.

        He let out a hiss as if in pain. " Honey…"

        She got the message and unzipped his pants with one flick of her wrist.

  Then the elevator swayed to one side and then it began to rise.

        It broke the heated moment between them, jumping away like two guilty teenagers caught by their homeroom teacher making out inside the classroom. They stared at each other, disoriented. Regina blinked, her mind spinning while Sendoh put a hand on his forehead, bewildered.

        Good grief, she almost gave herself to a total stranger! And the way she behaved: uninhibited, wanton, abandoned, it was totally unlike her. In fact, she had no idea she had those feelings in the first place.

        She snapped her slacks back on, still shocked at the events that had occurred and avoided the man's eyes. She was too rattled to meet them.  _Oh no, where's my bra? _ She asked herself panicking all of a sudden.

        Sendoh watched her in a blank daze. What had just happened? What happened to the man who has his desire firmly controlled like a dog on a leash? He became a man consumed by need and driven to possess. In his entire experience with women that never happened nor he thought it would never happen.

        Well, except that it did and with a woman who he thought nothing more than someone who shares the same elevator with him and maybe, just maybe, a potential conquest. But that changed when he kissed her. She was more than a sport to be won, she was…what?

        If only he knew. They could've gone further, but it ended so soon, so fast. Irrationally, he blamed the elevator.

        He shook his head feeling like someone dealt a blow on him and is currently having a hard time recovering from it. He picked up his discarded polo along with the woman's bra, knowing that she might be looking for it right now.  His hunch was right when he saw her moving around frantically and muttering in both Filipino and English and with her hands both covering her bare breasts. He hurriedly put his polo back on and called out in a thick voice that shocked him.

                 " Miss." 

        Regina nearly fainted at the sound of his voice. She turned to him, despite her earlier resolve not to meet his still burning blue eyes. It took her a lot of effort to keep from feeling so drawn to him. She raised an eyebrow in question.

        _So I'm not the only who felt rattled by the experience._ Sendoh observed seeing right through her nonchalant façade. He held up her bra, but made no move to hand it to her. He wanted for her to come for it and for him as well.

        She closed her eyes and sighed. She walked towards him in two long strides and nearly snatched the garment from him, pointedly ignoring his smile and the open poloshirt. " Thank you." She said stiffly as she hastily put on her bra.

                 " Dammit!"  She cursed as the bra slipped from her grasp for the nth time.  She was too aware of his presence for her to move smoothly.

                 " Here let me."  He said and before she could protest, he took the undergarment from the floor and helped her place it on her, but she felt that he lingered a little too long with her breasts.  She gritted her teeth, tampering her desires that's beginning to resurface.

        He noticed.  " Yeah me too."  He said.

        She glared at him, but he just smiled.  The thought of gracing his handsome face with a left hook sounded so good all of a sudden.  He has no right to see right through her!  No right at all!  They hardly know each other for crying out loud!

        Ding-ding!  6th floor the Administrative Office, it said on the screen above the elevator buttons. Regina, now looking neat and composed as if nothing happened, was relieved. She can get out of this elevator and forget the man who had made such an impact in her life and body.

        So why was she being nervous about leaving?

        _Must be an after effect._ She thought as she stepped out of the open doors of the lift. But suddenly the man grabbed her and the elevator doors closed, resuming its ascent again.  She gave the man a startled look.  " Just what do you think you're doing?!"  She shouted

                 " Come with me." He said half-pleadingly, half-seductively.         

She saw the promise and possibilities of coming with him from his eyes. She really wanted to, how she wanted to. All she had to do is just say yes.  Or stay with him. 

                 " Well, you have several floors more before you can decide."  He said sensing her hesitation.

        Regina wanted to come with him so much it hurts.  But what is holding her back?  " I'm not sure…" She began.

                 " Maybe this would convince you."  He smiled playfully and bent down to kiss her once again.

        Regina felt her knees buckle at the intensity of the kiss.  Flames of desire began to lick her insides once again and slowly she was giving in to him. 

        But she placed a hand on his chest, pushing him away from her.  " I-I can't.  Sorry."  She stammered. " Work y'know." She added hastily, turning away from him.

Sendoh knew this was _not_ the real reason why she refused to come with him. It was something else, something much deeper than just being late for work. _It's too soon_ she seems to be saying. He cursed himself for taking things too far.

The strange thing is he understood even if it hurts like hell. He nodded slowly, but didn't release her from his arms.

        24th Floor, Penthouse at last he had arrived.  But he didn't want to leave this woman in his arms.  Yet she said no and he can't force her to change her mind.

        Then unexpectedly he kissed her madly.  She threw his arms around him and kissed him back with much fervor as he did dropping her bag on the floor for the second time.

        The elevator doors opened and they can already hear voices and laughter outside the cabin.  Sendoh was sorely tempted to keep the doors closed and continue where they left off, Koshino and the others can wait until their eyes turn white. The woman in his arms was all that mattered to him.

        But before he could put that to action, the woman gently, but firmly pulled away from him. She shook her head then laughingly wiped off the lipstick on his mouth with a soft tissue paper.  " Your friends are waiting."  She said softly.

        Sendoh looked like a sullen three-year-old boy who was denied of his favorite toy.  The woman laughed and kissed him on the cheek.  He sighed and stepped out of the elevator.

" Ok what took you so long hotshot?" Koshino asked when he and Maki Shinichi met him at the 24th floor.

Instead of answering, he sped past them and got inside the Cisco office where Mitsui and Fujima greeted him happily.  " Hey, nice to see you again Sendoh!"  Fujima said, clapping him on the back.

                 " So you decided to take a break, Fujima."  Sendoh said easily.  " Got tired of sitting around in your office and doing nothing?"

        The former Shoyo pointguard laughed. 

                 " C'mon, we're all here.  We might as well go before we miss out on everything."  Mitsui said impatiently.

        Koshino grunted.  " Don't worry, Mitsui."  He said dryly.  " You won't.  Especially once women find out that the Calvin Klein stud is at the Basement."

        Maki decided to cut in before the two decided to kill each other.  " Right, let's go."  He then turned to Sendoh who had now an absent-minded look on his face.  He frowned.  _What's with this guy?_

" _May sweldo na?_"  (Do we have salary already?)  Cecille asked a tall and skinny guy who pulled out his ATM card from the machine.

                 " Nope." The man answered.

                 " Sure Tony?"

        Tony nodded.

                 " _Tang inang Benjay, yun.  Sabi niya may sweldo na ngayong oras na ito tapos wala pala._"  (That son of a bitch Benjay.  He said that there's already money at this time then we find out there isn't.) Cecille said angrily.

Regina laughed, startling her two friends.  " _Kasi naniniwala na may sweldo ng alas-3 ng madaling araw eh alam naman naitng lahat na mamayang 6 pa pwedeng kunin._"  (That's what you get for believing that we have our salary by 3 am when all of us know that it'll be later at 6 am that our salaries can be activated.)

        Tony laughed along with her.  " _Wala ka ng pera ano?_"  (You're broke right?)

        Cecille glared at him.  Regina and Tony laughed even harder.  The three of them went back to the building talking about their transactions with their clients ranging from funny to annoying.  Tony already warned Cecille that if she picks one more fight with a client, she's going to be issued a written warning for demeanor.

                 " _Pakialam ko._"  (I don't care.) Cecille said.  " _Pwedeng iba na lang ang pagusapan natin ha?_"  (Can we change the subject?)  She then turned to Regina.  " _Sori ha at di ko nasabi kay _Aaron_, absent siya eh._"  (Sorry I wasn't able to talk to Aaron because he's absent.)

        Regina sighed, thinking about the missing team leader.  She didn't want to remember what Juni, the evening shift supervisor, had just told her about Aaron's absences.  " _Alam ko.  Kinausap na nga ako ni Juni kanina tungkol dun eh._"  (I know.  Juni had already spoken to me earlier.)

        Tony stared at both women.  " Why, what happened?"

        Before she could answer, Cecille opened her mouth.  " _Na-_stuck_ ba naman sa _elevator_!  Ilang oras ka nandun_?  _Hindi ka ba nahuli?_"  (She got stuck in the elevator!  How many hours were you inside?  You weren't late?)

                 " No, I wasn't late."  Regina opted to answer the second question.  Because in truth she wasn't sure how long she was stuck inside the elevator.  How would she notice the time when all she can think of is that sexy man kissing her as if she's some delectable dessert? 

                 " Regina?"

        And the feel of his hard frame on hers…!  Utterly, utterly delightful!  Who would have thought feeling a man's body would be that good?  Not to mention his lips as he kissed every exposed part of her body, it felt absolutely heavenly!

                 " Regina?"

        The way his hand stroked her inner core, she nearly came because of it.  How much more if he actually entered her?  Ooh!

                 " REGINA!"

        Regina blinked.  Both Cecille and Tony were looking at her oddly.  " What?"

                 " Ok_ ka lang ha?_"  (Are you ok?)  Cecille asked and there was a slight frown on her face.

                 " Ah yeah, ok _lang ako.  Bakit?_"  (I'm fine.  Why?)

                 " You're spacing out friend."  Tony said a sly grin was already in his features.

        Cecille's face brightened.  " Aha!  _Sabi ko na nga ba at may nakasama kang guwapo sa elevator!  Nag-_quickie _kayo ano?_"  (I knew it you're with a handsome man in the elevator!  You two had a quickie right?)

        Regina made a face.  " Of course not.  That's too extreme."

                 " Sex in the elevator is pretty common, my dear Regina."

                 " Hmm, _di ko alam na may pagka-_kinky _ka_ my friend."  Tony laughed. (I didn't know that you can be kinky my friend.)

                 " Does everything have to be about sex?"  Regina asked, pressing her lips on a grim line.

        Cecille winked at her.  " Girl, in this day and age it's always about sex."

                 " Sorry I asked."  Regina muttered through gritted teeth.

        If that was how her two close friends reacted, it was worse with her teammates.

                 " Reg,blooming_ ka ngayon ha!_"  Therese teased.  " _Sino siya ha?_"  (Reg, you're blooming today!  Who's he?)

                 " I'm sure _gwapo yun_!"  Noelle, a gay guy who could be mistaken as a woman, said happily.  (I'm sure he's handsome!)

                 " _Magaling ba?_"   (Is he good?)  Al, another gay guy with a build and features of any other man, asked nudging Regina at the sides.

                 " _Masarap ba siya?_"  (Is he delicious?) Ara, a third gay guy with a built of a tank, asked.

                 " _Saan?_"  (Where?)  Regina asked uneasily.  When Ara speaks, she feels uncomfortable.  Of all the three gays on the team, he's the most vulgar and most racy.  She'd had her share of racy jokes and teasing, but not as bad as Ara's.

                 " _Grabe naman 'to, di ka naman tanga ano!  Siyempre sa kama!_"  (You're not that stupid right!  Of course in bed!)  Noelle nearly snapped.

        Without knowing, Regina grinned absently, which led for her colleagues to cheer. 

                 " Ay, happy _siya o!  Hoy, Reg, kuwento ka naman diyan!_"  (She's happy!  Hey Reg, tell us already!)  Eliza, her fellow senior CCA and the happily married one in the group, teased. 

                 " Verizon and Pitney Bowes team leaders!"  Juni called out.  " Meeting!"

        Regina was relieved when she heard his voice.  She instantly went to the small group that was gathered in the middle of the floor before she got to be smothered by her teammates.

        Maki eyed Sendoh uneasily through the rim of his glass. He had been watching him for almost an hour now and noticed that not only did he looked troubled, he hardly touched his vodka. He turned to Koshino who met his eyes and gave him a helpless gesture.__

_I'm as clueless as you are, Maki-san._ Koshino thought looking at his best friend of ten years worriedly. He had never seen Sendoh in this kind of mood: brooding and contemplative.  It was out of character.  Most of the time he is engaging and easygoing, even playful, never failing to be the life of the party.

        But now he's almost a wallflower. Did something happen?

                 " Hey seriously, what took you so long?" Koshino had asked when they were inside the Jaguar on their way to Basement.

                 " I got stuck somewhere."  Sendoh said quietly.

                 " Somewhere or someone?" Maki couldn't help but joke knowing all too well his reputation as a heartbreaker.

                 " Wish I knew." He mumbled as he focused on the road.

                 " Huh?!" Both Maki and Koshino exclaimed.

        Fujima who had been quietly listening the whole time, gave a look of disbelief in the former Ryonan ace's direction, which was ignored.

                 " Maybe you could be specific about it?"  Mitsui almost shouted at the back seat.

        Sendoh just ignored Mitsui's question and looked straight on the road.

        At the club, Sendoh's mood wasn't improving.  He hardly heard the music or saw the dancers on the dance floor and even ignored the women who were eyeing him with interest.  Unconsciously, he began to compare then to the woman at the elevator.

        _Too blatant._  He thought, upon seeing a woman in a sexy red dress that was looking at him as if she's going to eat him whole.  He gave her a brief smile, but turned away.  The woman from NGTC (as he now began to call her) won't be that obvious when it comes to men, she would be just as friendly but not as kittenish as the others.

        Another woman who is tall and statuesque and has the face of an angel and a body of a sex goddess approached Sendoh.  " Hi there."  She said, smiling sexily at him.  " How about a dance?"  She moved herself closer to him.

        Sendoh smiled mildly.  _Too aggressive, she won't be this pushy._  " Maybe later...?"

                 " Jenna."  The woman said.  She left, but not before giving Sendoh one more steamy glance and when he didn't make a move to follow her, she walked away looking miffed.

        Two more women approached him, which they turned out to be twin sisters wearing the same sexy black dress that made Mitsui and Koshino leer at them.  Maki was eyeing the twins with detached interest.  They introduced themselves as Lara and Lana. The twins were flocking around Sendoh, but much to the shock of the other four he gently, but firmly said no, he's not interested.

        The twins now turned their charms on Mitsui who is more than willing to accommodate them.

Koshino's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Now something is _definitely_ wrong with him. Sendoh never turned down offers from beautiful girls before. For him, the more they come the better. What in the world happened before he arrived at the 24th floor?!  In the first place, was this the real Sendoh?  He felt that he's seeing a different man instead of the usual fun-loving and self-indulgent guy that he usually is.

        But before Koshino could corner his friend and grill him about his new behavior, a dark-skinned and lovely woman approached their group or rather Fujima.

" Hello Kenji." She said in a sultry voice as she stopped beside the stunned Fujima.

        For a moment, Sendoh was distracted at the appearance of the woman and stared at her.  She is a petite but very attractive woman who was wearing a white halter-top and a pair of pants that hugged the lower part of her body in a very provocative manner.  Her hair was in soft curly waves and her brown eyes were much darker than the woman from NGTC.  Her eyes were much lighter and her hair is much straighter and it felt soft to his touch.

        Remembering the woman from NGTC made him remember what had almost happened between them.  They're practically strangers yet their bodies responded to each other like soul mates.  Was that even possible?  He wondered.

                 " What's wrong, cat got your tongue?"  The woman said, eyeing Fujima through smoky and sensual eyes.

                 " S-Sarah."  Fujima said.

        That brought Sendoh back to reality.  Since when did the calm and arrogant publisher stutter?  Usually it was the other way around, where his intense nature was both feared and admired by his colleagues, friends and in some cases, his ex-girlfriends.

        Now the former Shoyo coach was as pale as a sheet.  Maybe if they were in a much different situation, Sendoh would have congratulated Sarah for managing to give Fujima a dose of his own medicine.

        Sarah, as they recognized later, is synonymous to Sarah del Mundo the writer of the fantasy mini-series, _Acadia_, where Amano was the one who drew it.  It is a story of an elf pursuing a dragon princess and fell in-love with her in the process.  It was the usual fantasy manga where elves, dragons, humans and shape shifters are pretty much the characters in the stories, but despite of that it was a big hit in Japan and from other countries as well especially in Europe.  Basically, this woman is Fujima's latest success in his publishing company.  Does that also apply in his bed as well?

                 " Are you always this articulate?"  Sarah said smiling seductively at him.

        Fujima blinked.  " It's just, uh, a shock to see you here."  He said, running a hand on his brown hair.

        Sarah laughed.  " Well, writers do need to party."  She said as she trailed her fingers along the front of his shirt. 

        Fujima nodded, laughing weakly his eyes watching her hand trailing on his body.  His blue eyes widened when Sarah unbuttoned the first button of his shirt.  He put a hand to stop her, but she grabbed it and placed it on her hips.  Fujima was now trembling visibly.

                 " Man, this guy is totally lost."  Koshino muttered under his breath.

                 " You could say that again."  Mitsui said watching the usually cool and collected suave publisher melting right in front of their eyes because of a woman writer.

        Maki's lips twisted in a wry smile.  He was surprised and amused to see Fujima losing his composure towards the petite woman.  Most men lose their self-control towards a woman they like so much.  He knows that because he has experienced it before and that was such a significant change in his life.

        Sendoh watched the scene impassively, taking a sip from his vodka.  It was obvious how badly Fujima wanted this woman, but he was trying to control himself.  It was the same thing he's trying to do before things went out of hand inside the elevator with the woman from NGTC.

        Both of them, along with Mitsui and Maki, have reputations as a ladies' man, having no problem getting a woman or being approached by a woman even Koshino who despite of his ordinary looks attract so many admirers.  But there are some women that can totally change them: Sarah for Fujima, the woman from NGTC for Sendoh.  He glanced at Maki, Mitsui and Koshino.  Did these three ever meet a woman that changed their lives or that made them lose complete control of themselves?

        Sarah's hand moved lower until she reached his waist where she hooked her fingers in the belt loops of his trousers.  " Wanna dance, Kenji?"  She asked purring out his name.  " I feel like moving my body."  She said as she pulled him close to her.

        Fujima swallowed hard.  He was blushing furiously.  " That sounds good, Sarah."  He said, trying to move away from her but can't or won't (as Sendoh and company noticed).

        The pair went to the dance floor just as the Black Eyed Peas' song _Dirty Dancing_ began to play.  The four watched in amazement on how Sarah danced.  She is a graceful and able dancer moving herself against Fujima so sensuously that he looked thoroughly seduced.

                 " You gotta admit, if this goes on they'll be all over each other before the night's over."  Mitsui said as he put an arm around Lara while her twin, Lana, inched herself closer to him.

        Maki shrugged.  " That's fine with me."  He said carelessly.

        So they were not exactly surprised when Fujima and Sarah didn't return to their group.  Koshino watched the pair leaving the club in a hurry with Fujima practically dragging Sarah with him.  " Jeez, those two sure are in a hurry to get laid."  He said dryly.

                 " Like the rest of the people here in this planet."  Mitsui said dryly and eyed the twins with a smile on his face.  He already got the rest of the night planned out with these two on the top of the agenda.  It would take him more energy than usual, but he knew that it would be worth it.  He's going to be one happy man by the time morning comes.

Then everyone practically jumped when they heard the sound of a chair being scraped on the floor amidst the noise of the music and the chatters.  They all looked startled to see Sendoh getting up from his seat.

        " Where're you off to so early?"  Mitsui asked.

                 " Back at the condo."  Sendoh said curtly.  " I'm tired."

                 " Sure you are."  Koshino said dryly. Though he sounded sarcastic, he was as stunned as his three other friends. For one, Sendoh never leaves early especially when the five of them get together. It's only 2 in the morning, very much early to leave a party that was beginning to go into full swing.  And he knew, along with everyone else how hard Sendoh parties, but now he's leaving because he's tired? It sounded downright weird. Sendoh never gets tired of having a great time.

Sendoh must have noticed his friends' expressions because he smiled sheepishly at them, scratching his head. "_ Sumimasen._ I didn't mean to be a wet blanket."

                " No prob."  Koshino said, saluting him with a beer bottle.  " We can take it from here. Get some rest, this must be a real hectic day for you."

        Maki stood up as well. " I'll go with you." He said. " I'm beat with all this clubbing as well."

" You must be getting old." Mitsui kidded and got an icy look from him that rivaled Rukawa's.  " Jeez, just kidding Maki!  Will you loosen up?"  He scowled at the former Kainan MVP.

                 " See you."  Sendoh said and left the group.  Maki followed after him after giving Mitsui and Koshino a brief nod.  _I'll find out._  He said silently to them.

Maki and Sendoh arrived at one of the posh condominiums located at the business section of Ayala Avenue. The drive back to the condo was silent and that was fine with both of them since they're occupied with their own thoughts.  Maki was enumerating the strange things his friend had done tonight, wondering why he was acting so odd.  He wasn't himself, obviously.

_Too much stress? _ Maki thought. Though that was unlikely. Sendoh is very much laidback when it comes to his work. People misunderstood it as being irresponsible, but to him it is an example of quiet confidence. He knows he can do the job without being too stressed out about it.

He has to stop speculating or it will give him a headache. He promised the other two men back at the club that he will get to the bottom of this. Backing out now would mean hell.

Luckily for him, Sendoh invited him for a drink at the hotel's bar. Even when it means exceeding his alcohol intake for the night, he accepted.

Now the two of them were at the bar, drinking. Or rather, Maki was the only one drinking, feeling that he's oversaturated with alcohol already. Sendoh was looking at his own drink like the piece of glass would provide him all the answers.

" _Doushtano?_" Maki asked.  Being honest is the best approach than any other method of questioning.

Sendoh stared at him then at the glass then at him again, sighing heavily. " I'm confused, Maki-san." He began.

        Now this is a surprise.  The usual straight-minded operations manager is confused.  " About what?"

" About women."

        Now Maki had to laugh at that.  That was the last thing Sendoh had to be so mystified of.  " They always makes us confused, Sendoh."  He said slowly.  " You, of all people, should know that by now."

        Sendoh didn't like being laughed at, especially when he's in a crisis.  He glared at Maki.  " I do.  But when you meet someone…I don't know…"

        _Aha, so he met someone!_  Maki thought, as he finally was able to get some answers from his friend.  But he usually meets someone, what is so different about this one?  " You don't know what?"  He prodded.

                 " If I just made the biggest mistake in my life."  Sendoh said.

        There are few regrets in Sendoh's life and Maki knew that pretty well. Very few in fact, he wanted to tell him that he should consider himself lucky. After one mishap, he gets up and moves on with his life as if it never happened at all.  His positive outlook kept him strong amongst life's challenges and tribulations. 

                 " Like what?"  Maki knew he sounded like a complete idiot but he didn't care.  Not when he's getting this close into finding out what's been bothering Sendoh.

                 " Letting something good, _iya, _great slip right through in your fingertips."   He said quietly.

        _Oh.  That._  Maki thought, not liking the direction this conversation is going.  There are some things in life that can leave one helpless and that is what he hated most.  And right now the distressed expression on Sendoh's face reflected what he used to (and still) feel.  He looked like he had just lost someone he cared about so much and that brings back all the painful memories Maki has been suppressing for so long.

        _Not now, Shinichi._ He reprimanded himself. This was not the time to dwell on his life right now. He has other concerns. " Then why did you?" He asked. It was the same thing he asked himself over and over again without finding any answers.

        The younger man looked at him guiltily. " It scared the hell out of me."

        Sendoh scared?  That was new.

" So what are you going to do about it?" Maki asked, his drink completely forgotten.

The other man shrugged feebly. " I'm at a loss here."  He said.  " It isn't supposed to happen this way.  Was it too soon?"

        Somehow, Sendoh's situation is not too different with Maki's except with the ex-Ryonan ace, he can do something about it.  " What do you think?"  He asked, raising his left brow in query.

        Sendoh stared at him blankly.  " Huh?"

_NGTC, 6:15 a.m._

        Regina and her friends were now at the BPI Express Teller beside Orient Square building, falling in line to get their salary.  It was a long line and good thing Tony and Vince, another friend of hers, were gallant enough to let them be ahead of the line (or at least she and Cecille were pushy enough to asked them if they could be the first in line).

               " _Ayan, may suweldo na tayo_!"  (At last, we have our salary!) Cecille said cheerfully as she took her card and money from the ATM. 

        Vince was instantly at her side.  " _Uy, 'di ibig sabhin manlilibre ka ng _breakfast_ niyan?_"  (Then that means you're going to treat us for breakfast?)

        Cecille glared at him.  " _Hoy, ikaw nga ang dapat manlibre since P26, 000 ang komisyon mo mula sa _Verizon!" (Hey, you should be the one to treat is since you have a commission of P26, 000 from Verizon!)

        Vince scowled.  " _Kulang pa nga yun eh._"  (That wasn't even enough.)

                 " _Ano?!  Ang laki na nga ng kinita mo tapos nagrereklamo ka na kulang?!  Galing mo, pare._"  (What?!  Your salary is so high and you have the nerve to complain that it isn't enough?!  You're unbelievable buddy.) Regina said sarcastically, swatting his arm.

                 " _Siyempre, mamaya di mo alam niloloko ka na pala ng kumpanya._" (Of course.  You may never know the company's ripping you off already.) Vince said smugly.

        Jet, another officemate and friend, arrived.  " Breakfast at Parking Lot."  He said, referring to a carinderia located at one of the parking lots in the Ortigas area.

        Regina nodded.  She was in the mood for their _binagoongang baboy_ today and lots of rice.  " _Andyan na ba silang lahat?_" (Are they all here?)

                 " _Sina Therese na lang._"  (Just Therese's group.) Jet answered.

                 " Let me guess, _nasa 5th _floor _pa rin sila?_" (They're still at the 5th floor?)  Reigna asked with a wry smile on her face.

                 " _Matatagalan pa tayo nito eh._" (This will take us longer to leave.) Vince said derisively.

        Cecille sighed impatiently.  " _'Wag ka ng magreklamo at bumalik na tayo sa opis._"  (Quit complaining and let's just get back to the office.)

        They were back once again at NGTC, finally finding Therese's group amongst the crowded agents, team leaders and quality assurance agents.  Jet informed them in a loud voice that they are going to have breakfast at the Parking Lot.

                 " _Ay, kailangan bang sigawan kami?!_"  (Do you have to shout at us?!) Al snapped at the tall and thin man.  

        Jet ignored him.

        The large group of 9 was now waiting for the elevator to open, talking about on what to do on a weekend.  Tony invited them for a night of clubbing at Absinthe to which most of them accepted except for Regina and Vince.  Vince plans to spend the entire weekend with his girlfriend while Regina wanted to rest.  Noelle was practically pushing Regina to come, but she stood her ground.

                 " Are you sure you wanted to rest or you're on a hot date?"  Noelle said, giving her a sly smile.

        Regina made a face.  " I'm tired bossing you guys for the whole night.  I don't have time for hot dates."  She said wearily.  " I just wish Aaron would return."

                 " Good luck, Reg,_ matatagalan pa siya._"  Ara said. (That would take a long time.)

        She groaned.  "  _Nag-_resign_ na 'ata 'yun eh._"  (I think he just resigned.)

        Ara shook his head.  " _Marami lang inaasikaso._" (He just has to take care of a few things.)

                 " _O nga pala, close kayo._" (Oh yeah you two are very close.)

        The elevator doors slid open and they were relieved to see it empty except from a lone occupant that made Regina's knees weak upon seeing him.

        Right in front of her was the man she thought she would never see again. He was dressed casually in a maroon poloshirt, which was untucked and the first three buttons were open exposing his chest, he was wearing a pair of black faded jeans that fit him real snugly and a pair of Converse sneakers. His hair was wet and tousled he obviously had a shower as she got a whiff of his clean male scent.

        Regina didn't expect that a casual and sexy combination in a man can be possible and its effects are devastating to her senses. 

                 " Good morning."   He said cheerfully.

                 " Good morning." She greeted back a smile was now beginning to form on her lips, her eyes never leaving his.

        Sendoh wanted to collapse from relief.  It was a big risk that he took gladly. After the conversation he had with Maki, he went to his room and spent the whole night  (or what's left of it) thinking.  When the sun is almost rising, he has already decided that whatever it takes, he will find her.  So he took a shower and dressed, calling Cisco Systems where he spoke to a half-asleep evening shift supervisor to tell the morning crew especially the branch manager not to expect him in the office for the whole of today.  He also called NGTC, asking what time do the employees leave and he was answered at 6 a.m.

        Luckily for him, it was a Saturday and the color-coding traffic scheme is suspended.  He can use the Jaguar without being stopped by an MMDA police officer and have his license suspended or worse, being asked for an outrageous amount of money to pay for a violation he wasn't sure if it existed.

        By 5:15, he had arrived at Emerald Avenue.  It was earlier than he expected so he decided to drop by at El Pueblo and had a cup of coffee at Café All Day where he spent most of the time looking out of the tall and imposing skyscrapers of Ortigas Center, waiting for the sun to rise and considered having breakfast in this place with her.  It was already past 6 in the morning when he left the café, hoping that he wasn't too late.

        Sendoh stopped in front of Orient Square building, got out of the car and entered the building.  He jumped in the elevator and closed it before anyone else would follow him.  Oh he knew he's going to be hated by those people, but what did he care?

        It was there he saw her, standing beside a thin man in a blue shirt and overly baggy jeans.  When she saw him, she looked like she had seen a ghost.  It made him anxious, which was a surprise since it's a long-forgotten feeling for him.  The last time he was this nervous was when the first time he had sex with one of his classmates during his third year in junior high school.  He was afraid that she would never recognize him or tell him to get lost.

        But when he saw her shining brown eyes and her infectious smile his nervousness was gone.  The risk was worth it.  Now he is about to make another one.  Slowly, he extended his hand to her, asking for the second time to come with him.

        Regina extended her hand but withdrew it again, placing it on her chest.  She knew what he was asking and this time she was certain of her answer. Yet she was hesitating. _It's too soon, too fast isn't it?  _She asked silently.

        _Does it matter?_ His blue eyes seem to be asking.

        _Does it really matter?_  She asked herself.  Who was she fooling? It never did matter to her if they just met several hours ago. What she really is scared of was the unknown. She felt that from this moment on, that whatever happens she knew that they're going to face it together. Together. How ominous, yet sweet.

                 " Uh, Reg, who's he?" Cecille's voice broke made them realize that they're not alone. Ara, Al, Therese and Noelle were hovering over Cecille's shoulder, very much eager to know who this delicious-looking man was.  Even Jet, Tony and Vince looked very curious.

        Regina turned to her friends, smiling brightly. " What?" She asked.

                 " Reg, who's that delectable-looking man?"  Ara asked loudly.

                 " Arnold!"  Cecille said, casting the curly-haired homosexual a withering look.

        Ara shrugged.  " Well, it's true he is scrumptious-looking."  He protested eyeing the man seductively.

        The man laughed at the compliment.  " Thank you very much."  He said, smiling.

        Therese, Al, Cecille and Noelle looked like they wanted to swoon.  Even Ara who's not that easily impressed with a man, looked like he wanted to faint as well.  " _Ay, ang guwapo ng boses!_"  (His voice is so beautiful!) Noelle almost shrieked.

                 " _Sino siya ha?_" (Who's he huh?) Cecille asked.

                 " _Makakilala ba kayo?_"  (You two know each other?) Al asked eyeing the man with interest.

                 " _Jowa mo no?_"  (He's your boyfriend right?) Therese teased.

                 " 'Bye!"  Regina waved at them and let the man pull her inside the elevator.

                 " _Hoy, teka lang _Reg…!"  (Hey wait a minute, Regina…!) Whatever Noelle was going to say was cut off as the elevator doors began to close.

        As they watched the doors close, they saw the man taking Regina into his arms and give her a long and heated kiss. Vince, Tony and Jet exchanged amused glances while Cecille, Therese, Noelle, Al and Ara gaped at the closed elevator.

                 " _Putang ina, ang suwerte naman niya_!" (Son of a bitch, she's so lucky!) Ara howled in outrage.

        Al and Noelle joined in with the cries of indignation at the now gone senior CCA.  Cecille and Therese looked at each other dumbfounded, still too stunned with what they had just seen.  Jet, Vince and Tony were now discussing about automobiles.

                 " _O, bakit ganyan ang mga hitsura niyo?_"  (Why do you all look that?) Eliza asked as she stopped beside Jet.

        Jet laughed.  " _Paano, nakita yung jowa ni Reg, ang guwapo.  Nainggit._"  (They're jealous because they saw that Regina's boyfriend is very handsome.)

        Eliza's eyes widened.  " _Ows?!_"  She then grabbed Ara's shoulder.  " _Sino siya?!  Kuwento, dali!_" (Who is he?!  Tell me now!)

        Ara stared at his friend, not capable of responding for once.

        Regina slightly pulled away from him, touching his cheek.

                 " You were mean to your friends awhile back." Sendoh reprimanded although he didn't sound too reproachful. " Leaving them behind." He added, brushing a strand of hair away from her face.

        She laughed. " Believe me, you wouldn't have a moment's peace with them around."

        He gave her a roguish grin. " At least I have you all to myself."

                 " Hn, territorial." She said then was about to let her kiss her when put a hand on his chest, stopping him from doing so. She remembered something.

                 " What?"  He asked, sensing her uneasiness.

        The woman or Reg, as he heard from her officemates, lowered her head in embarrassment, her face hot and flushed. " I, uh, I mean…er…we didn't exactly introduce ourselves." She muttered.

        Sendoh lifted her face with his thumb and forefinger. " I thought you'd never notice." He joked then kissed the scowl on her face. " Though I did remember one of your friends calling you Reg."

                 " That's short for Regina." She answered. " Regina Santos."

         Beautiful name, just like the bearer." He smiled when she blushed prettily.

                 " Your turn."

                 " Sendoh Akira."

        A strong name for a strong man and obviously Japanese, she knew their unusual naming system though it baffled her sometimes. " How should I call you, Sendoh or Akira?" She asked, confused.

        He leaned his face closer to hers. " You can call me whatever you like honey." He drawled.

        She gave him a withering look. " Gee, that is so—!" Her retort was smothered by his kiss.

        Moments later, they were breathing rapidly both of them catching up some air. Regina rested a hand on his bare chest. " So, are we going to stay here for the whole day?" She asked playfully.

                 " That is an appealing thought, but I have plans that has nothing to do with being trapped inside an elevator."  Sendoh grinned. " Let's begin by breakfast." He added as he ran a finger along the curve of her face.  " You get to choose where."

She smiled up at him. " That sounds great."

-END-

_Author's note: The names of Regina's officemates are real people.  They are my former officemates at SVI Connect under the leadership of Aaron Nallana.  You guys made my stay there very memorable and I will never forget all of you.  Aaron's team rule!_

_To my cousin Vic, I know you won't be able to read this but thanks anyway for being my lucky charm while I was applying at SVI._

_To Lady Harlequin, I hope that part with Fujima is much to your liking.  Is it much better now?_

_Slam Dunk is not mine, but by Inoue Takehiko._

_And lastly, thanks to my classmate at PWU-CDCEC (namely, Mr. Kazler Roberts) for reading my first version of this fic and I appreciate your comments and the smiles as you read the racy parts._


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